1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote-controlled shooting system, a video camera apparatus and a remote-controlled shooting method for shooting a disaster-stricken area from a helicopter or the like in response to an instruction from the ground.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To keep the damage to a minimum by an earthquake, fire, typhoon, tsunami or similar major disaster, it is absolutely necessary to grasp the situations in the stricken area quickly and accurately. FIG. 29 is a diagram depicting the general outlines of a conventional remote-controlled shooting system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 10-257474. Reference numeral 7 denotes a ground base station which calls for the transmission of disaster information, and 8 a video camera apparatus loaded on, for example, a helicopter 9 to shoot the disaster area.
Reference character L1 denotes a first radio channel which is used to transmit speech signals between the ground base station 7 and the helicopter 9 or shooting instruction information to the video camera apparatus 8 and its response information; and L2 denotes a second radio channel which is used to transmit video signals from the video camera apparatus to the ground base station together with shooting conditions.
Upon occurrence of a major disaster, the ground base station 7 sends over the first radio channel L1 verbal instructions to the helicopter 9 as to the position of a target to be shot or the like and, at the same time, transmits shooting instruction information indicating the shooting conditions for the video camera apparatus 8, thereby remotely controlling it.
Having been instructed from the ground base station 7 on the position of the target to be shot and the shooting conditions, the video camera apparatus 8 shoot the specified spot in the stricken area from above, and transmits the video images to the base station 7 over the second radio channel L2. The ground base station 7 separates the received video images into moving and still images to monitor the scene of the disaster to grasp the situations. When the transmitted video images are not sufficient to grasp the disaster situations, verbal instructions are provided via the first radio channel while at the same time remotely controlling the video camera apparatus 8 to obtain new video images.
Since the conventional remote-controlled shooting system has such a configuration as mentioned above, the method which remotely controls the video camera apparatus 8 while monitoring video images and obtains new video signals may sometimes consume much time to accurately grasp the disaster situations according to the type and scale of the disaster and its temporal variations, making it impossible to quickly take appropriate measures.
Moreover, the load on the operator in the ground base station 7 is inevitably heavy, and video images are .subject to individual operators"" judgment, and hence vary according to the particular operatorxe2x80x94this also constitutes an obstacle to accurately grasping the situations in the disaster-stricken area.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a remote-controlled shooting system, a video camera apparatus and a remote-controlled shooting method in which a caller for disaster information selects an appropriate one of preset shooting patterns in accordance with the type, scale and temporal variation of the disaster to cope with, and sends a shooting instruction based on the selected shooting pattern and the shooting conditions corresponding thereto, or a shooting instruction based on the selected shooting pattern, to a video camera apparatus loaded on a helicopter, and in response to the shooting instruction, the video camera apparatus video images obtained by shooting a disaster area from above and transmit the disaster information to the caller, making it possible to quickly grasp the situations with high accuracy, while at the same time reducing the load on the operator of the caller and ensuring that the disaster information is not subject to the individual operators"" judgment.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote-controlled shooting system which is provided with a video camera apparatus loaded on an aircraft, a shooting instruction device for sending a shooting instruction to said video camera apparatus over a radio channel, and an information display device for displaying the results of shooting by said video camera apparatus sent thereto over a radio channel. The shooting instruction device: responds to an operator""s instruction to select a desired one of a plurality of prestored shooting patterns; inputs shooting conditions corresponding to said selected shooting pattern; and sends to said video camera apparatus a shooting instruction based on said selected shooting pattern or shooting instruction based on said selected shooting pattern and said input shooting conditions. The video camera apparatus: receives said shooting instruction from said shooting instruction device; make reference to map data and position/attitude information of said aircraft; based on said received shooting instruction, computes a sill picture marking position for extracting a still picture; makes a flight plan which satisfies said shooting instruction; based on said flight plan, display the flight path of said aircraft and shoots a shooting target; and adds a still picture mark to the video signal obtained at said still picture marking position, and sends a video signal with still picture mark and data associated with said shooting. The information display device: receives said video signal with still picture mark sent from said video camera apparatus; extracts said still picture from said video signal with still picture mark; and displays said still picture together with said associated data.
According to another aspect of the invention, said shooting instruction device comprises: a shooting pattern storage part with a plurality of shooting patterns stored therein; a first map data storage part with map data stored therein; a shooting instruction input part which selects one of said plurality of shooting patterns stored in said shooting pattern storage part in response to said operator""s instruction, inputs said shooting conditions through use of said map data in said first map data storage part corresponding to said selected shooting pattern, and outputs said shooting instruction based on said selected shooting pattern, or said shooting instruction based on said selected shooting pattern and said input shooting conditions; and a shooting instruction transmitting part for sending said shooting instruction from said shooting instruction input part over a radio channel.
According to another aspect of the invention, said shooting pattern storage part has stored therein, as said plurality of shooting patterns, a plurality of basic shooting patterns and a plurality of model shooting patterns which are combinations of said basic shooting patterns.
According to another aspect of the invention, said shooting pattern storage part has stored therein, as one of said basic shooting patterns, a single-point shooting pattern for extracting one still picture at a point specified by some coordinates from a video image obtained by said video camera apparatus.
According to another aspect of the invention, said shooting pattern storage part has stored therein, as one of said basic shooting patterns, a multiple-point shooting pattern for extracting, at fixed time intervals, a plurality of still pictures at points specified by some coordinates from a video image obtained by said video camera apparatus.
According to another aspect of the invention, said shooting pattern storage part has stored therein, as one of said basic shooting patterns, a line shooting pattern for shooting a continuously stretching shooting target and for extracting a plurality of still pictures.
According to another aspect of the invention, said shooting pattern storage part has stored therein, as one of said basic shooting patterns, an area shooting pattern for shooting a wide shooting target area and for extracting a plurality of still pictures.
According to another aspect of the invention, said shooting pattern storage part has stored therein, as one of said basic shooting patterns, a spotlight shooting pattern for shooting a target from said aircraft flying around a spot specified on a map and for extracting a plurality of still pictures shot from different directions.
According to another aspect of the invention, said shooting pattern storage part has stored therein, as one of said basic shooting patterns, a panoramic shooting pattern for shooting a target from said aircraft hovering over its center while turning a camera and for extracting a plurality of still pictures shot from different directions.
According to another aspect of the invention, said video camera apparatus comprises: a shooting instruction receiving part for receiving said shooting instruction from said shooting instruction device; a second map data storage part with two- and three dimensional map data stored therein; a position/attitude detecting part for detecting the position/attitude information of said aircraft; a shooting planning part which: makes reference to map data in said second map data storage part and said position/attitude information detected by said position/attitude detecting part; based on said shooting instruction received in said shooting instruction receiving part, computes a still picture marking position for extracting a still picture; and makes a flight plan which satisfies said shooting instruction; a flight path display control part which makes reference to map data in said second map data storage part and said position/attitude information detected by said position/attitude detecting part, and creates flight path information of said aircraft based on said flight plan made by said shooting planning part; a flight path display part for displaying the flight path of said aircraft based on said flight path display information; a shooting control part which: makes reference to said position/attitude information of said aircraft detected by said position/attitude detecting part; based one said flight plan made by said shooting planning part, sets camera conditions and outputs camera control conditions; and outputs a still picture marking instruction for adding a still picture mark to said video signal obtained by shooting; a camera part for shooting a shooting target based on said camera control information and for outputting a video signal and associated shooting conditions; a shooting information generating part which, following said flight pan made by said shooting planning part, adds a still picture mark to said video signal from said camera part based on said still picture marking instruction from said shooting control part, then outputs a video signal with still picture mark, and outputs as said associated data said position/attitude information of said aircraft when said still picture mark was added and said shooting conditions from said camera part; and a shooting result transmitting part for sending over a radio channel said video signal with still picture mark and said associated data provided from said shooting information generating part.
According to another aspect of the invention, said shooting planning part comprises: a model shooting pattern storage part having stored therein a model shooting pattern and its shooting conditions, said model shooting pattern being a combination of basic shooting patterns; a shooting instruction decision part which: receives said shooting instruction and decides the shooting pattern instructed by said shooting instruction device; in the case of a basic shooting pattern, outputs said received shooting instruction intact; and in the case of a model shooting pattern, reads out each basic shooting pattern contained in said model shooting pattern stored in said model shooting pattern storage part and said shooting conditions corresponding thereto, and outputs them as said shooting instruction; a shooting instruction storage part for storing said shooting instruction provided from said shooting instruction decision part; a flight plan preparing part which: reads out said shooting instruction stored in said shooting instruction storage part; makes reference to said map data in said second map data storage part and said position/attitude information of said aircraft detected in said position/attitude detecting part; computes a still picture marking position for extracting a still picture; and makes a flight plan which satisfies said shooting instruction; a flight plan storage part for storing said flight plan made by said flight plan generating part; and a flight plan management part for reading out said flight plan stored in said flight plan storage part and outputs said read-out flight plan.
According to another aspect of the invention, when it has received a shooting instruction indicating the single-point shooting as the shooting pattern and the position of the shooting target and the still picture size as the shooting conditions, said flight plan preparing part obtains altitude data of said shooting target position from said map data in said second map data storage part, computes the shooting distance from said shooting target position which provides said still picture size, obtains the current position of said aircraft from said position/attitude information detected by said position/attitude detecting part, obtains an approach path of said aircraft from said current position of said aircraft and said shooting target position; obtains altitude data from said shooting target position to the position of said shooting distance on said approach path from said map data in said second map data storage part, and computes the intersection of the lowest altitude where said shooting target can be seen and said shooting distance on said approach path, thereby computing a still picture marking position.
According to another aspect of the invention, when it has received a shooting instruction indicating the line shooting as the shooting pattern and a plurality of way points and the still picture size as the shooting conditions, said flight plan preparing part computes each still picture marking position between said way points in a manner to provide overlapping of still pictures, obtains altitude data of said each still picture marking position from the map data in said second map data storage part, and calculates the flight altitude of said aircraft from the maximum altitude in said altitude data.
According to another aspect of the invention, when said shooting information generating part adds a still picture mark to the video signal from said camera part, said still picture mark is superimposed on a vertical sync signal in said video signal.
According to another aspect of the invention, said information display part comprises: a shooting result receiving part for receiving said video signal with still picture mark and said associated data from said video camera apparatus; a still picture extracting part for extracting said still picture from said video signal with still picture mark received -in said shooting result receiving part and for outputting said still picture together with said associated data; a database storage part for storing said still picture and said associated data output from said still picture extracting part; a third map data storage part for storing map data; and a shooting information display part which reads out said still picture and said associated data stored in said database storage part and display them on the map data read out of said third map data storage part.
According to another aspect of the invention, said still picture extracting part responds to said shooting instruction from said shooting instruction device to perform still picture processing such as joining together extracted still pictures or estimation of a burning area.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a video camera apparatus which is loaded on an aircraft and shoots a shooting target in response to an external shooting instruction, said video camera apparatus comprising: a shooting instruction receiving part for receiving said shooting instruction sent over a radio channel; a map data storage part with two- and three dimensional map data stored therein; a position/attitude detecting part for detecting the position/attitude information of said aircraft; a shooting planning part which: makes reference to map data in said second map data storage part and said position/attitude information detected by said position/attitude detecting part; based on said shooting instruction received in said shooting instruction receiving part, computes a still picture marking position for extracting a still picture; and makes a flight plan which satisfies said shooting instruction; a flight path display control part which makes reference to map data in said second map data storage part and said position/attitude information detected by said position/attitude detecting part, and creates flight path information of said aircraft based on said flight plan made by said shooting planning part; a flight path display part for displaying the flight path of said aircraft based on said flight path display information; a shooting control part which: makes reference to said position/attitude information of said aircraft detected by said position/attitude detecting part; based one said flight plan made by said shooting planning part, sets camera conditions and outputs camera control conditions; and outputs a still picture marking instruction for adding a still picture mark to a video signal obtained by shooting; a camera part for shooting a shooting target based on said camera control information and for outputting a video signal and associated shooting conditions; a shooting information generating part which, following said flight pan made by said shooting planning part, adds a still picture mark to said video signal from said camera part based on said still picture marking instruction from said shooting control part, then outputs a video signal with still picture mark, and outputs as said associated data said position/attitude information of said aircraft when said still picture mark was added and said shooting conditions from said camera part; and a shooting result transmitting part for sending to the outside over a radio channel said video signal with still picture mark and said associated data provided from said shooting information generating part.
According to another aspect of the invention, said shooting planning part comprises: a model shooting pattern storage part having stored therein a model shooting pattern and its shooting conditions, said model shooting pattern being a combination of basic shooting patterns; a shooting instruction decision part which: receives said shooting instruction and decides the shooting pattern instructed by said shooting instruction device; in the case of a basic shooting pattern, outputs said received shooting instruction intact; and in the case of a model shooting pattern, reads out each basic shooting pattern contained in said model shooting pattern stored in said model shooting pattern storage part and said shooting conditions corresponding thereto, and outputs them as said shooting instruction; a shooting instruction storage part for storing said shooting instruction provided from said shooting instruction decision part; a flight plan preparing part which: reads out said shooting instruction stored in said shooting instruction storage part; makes reference to said map data in said second map data storage part and said position/attitude information of said aircraft detected in said position/attitude detecting part; computes a still picture marking position for extracting a still picture; and makes a flight plan which satisfies said shooting instruction; a flight plan storage part for storing said flight plan made by said flight plan generating part; and a flight plan management part for reading out said flight plan stored in said flight plan storage part and outputs said read-out flight plan.
According to another aspect of the invention, when it has received a shooting instruction indicating the single-point shooting as the shooting pattern and the position of the shooting target and the still picture size as the shooting conditions, said flight plan preparing part obtains altitude data of said shooting target position from said map data in said map data storage part, computes the shooting distance from said shooting target position which provides said still picture size, obtains the current position of said aircraft from said position/attitude information detected by said position/attitude detecting part, obtains an approach path of said aircraft from said current position of said aircraft and said shooting target position; obtains altitude data from said shooting target position to the position of said shooting distance on said approach path from said map data in said map data storage part, and computes the intersection of the lowest altitude where said shooting target can be seen and said shooting distance on said approach path, thereby computing a still picture marking position.
According to another aspect of the invention, when it has received a shooting instruction indicating the line shooting as the shooting pattern and a plurality of way points and the still picture size as the shooting conditions, said flight plan preparing part computes each still picture marking position between said way points in a manner to provide overlapping of still pictures, obtains altitude data of said each still picture marking position from the map data in said map data storage part, and calculates the flight altitude of said aircraft from the maximum altitude in said altitude data.
According to another aspect of the invention, when said shooting information generating part adds a still picture mark to the video signal from said camera part, said still picture mark is superimposed on a vertical sync signal in said video signal.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a remote-controlled shooting method comprising the steps of: (1) selecting a desired one of a plurality of prestored shooting patterns in response to an operator""s instruction; (2) inputting shooting conditions corresponding to said selected shooting pattern in response to an operator""s instruction; (3) outputting an shooting instruction based on said shooting pattern selected in said step (1), or a shooting instruction based on said shooting pattern selected in said step (1) and said shooting conditions input in said step (2); (4) sending said shooting instruction to an aircraft over a radio channel; (5) receiving said shooting instruction; (6) making reference to map data and position/attitude information of said aircraft, computing a still picture marking position for extracting a still picture based on said received shooting instruction, and making a flight plan which satisfies said shooting instruction; (7) displaying a flight path of said aircraft based on said flight plan; (8) shooting a shooting target; (9) adding a still picture to the resulting video signal to extract therefrom a still picture; (10) sending over a radio channel a video signal with said still picture mark and data associated with shooting; (11) receiving said video signal with said still picture mark and said associated data sent over said radio channel; (12) extracting a still picture from said video signal with said still picture mark; and (13) displaying said extracted still picture and said associated data.
According to another aspect of the invention, said plurality of preset shooting patterns in said step (1) are a plurality of basic shooting patterns and a plurality of model shooting patterns, each consisting of a combination of said basic shooting patterns.
According to another aspect of the invention, the said step (9) is a step of superimposing said still picture mark on a vertical sync signal of said video signal.
According to another aspect of the invention, said step (12) includes a step of performing still picture processing such as combining still pictures or estimation of a burning area in response to said shooting instruction.